Nightwing Reborn
by Voodoo Doll Mana
Summary: (Pre-52 Canon) Sequel to "Hayloft Confessional". Dick Grayson's daughter, Hero Grayson, decides to become the new Nightwing, but what does that mean for herself and her future? Warings - Strong Language.
1. Chapter 1

Hero blew out a heavy breath as she turned and twisted in the three way mirror, trying to glimpse every inch of the new suit. Tim chuckled behind her.

"This use to be Alfred's job, you know, designing and making the new suits. He tried to let Dick make up his own once but it ended with feathers and a disco collar," Tim snickered. Hero rolled her eyes as she recalled her father's infamous Nightwing costume. She turned to face her uncle, cocking her hip to one side and putting her gauntleted hand on it in what she hoped was a cocky pose.

"Drake, if I wore a suit with a v-cut down to my navel my father would lock me in my room and never let me leave the Cave ever again," Hero joked flatly. Tim raised an eyebrow, his eyes tracing over her quickly.

"That's too much hip. Try standing with your legs a little wider apart but don't put both hands on your hips. You'll look like Powergirl if you do that," Tim commented. Hero quickly shifted her stance, feeling the lightweight armor of the new suit shift with her. Tim chanted his head from side to side, clucking under his breath. Out of all of them, save maybe for Bruce, Tim had watched Dick the most as Nightwing and what she really needed right now was a Nightwing expert.

"Can't I just do the same things I did as Robin?" Hero griped as Tim ordered her into a few more poses.

"Not unless you want to get yourself killed," Tim warned her as he fiddled with one of her gauntlets. "Robin's job is about distraction and misdirection. You're a moving target to keep the bad guys from noticing the big bad Bat sneaking up behind them. If you're going to be Nightwing you're going to be pretty much on your own. Dick was all about the showmanship and he has the scars to prove that's not always the smart move."

"I guess there's a reason the suit is black and blue then?" Hero deadpanned. Tim grinned as he slid his hands over Hero's arms.

"I'm glad you decided to keep the finger stripes. They've become something of an icon since Dick first donned them," Tim hummed thoughtfully. He dutifully turned Hero around and leaned his head to the side as he studied her in the mirror.

Hero's Nightwing suit wasn't an exact replica of either former Nightwing. Tim had decided that right away when he was helping her make the new costume. The cut was about the same, a straight fitted suit of Kevlar weave covering her from the throat down. What had changed was the breadth of blue across her chest. Hero had chosen a cut similar to Chris's old Nightwing costume. Blue dominated Hero's throat and shoulders before it cut down her sides in a sloping triangle that ended at a point just above her naval. Tim had chosen a blue a few shades brighter than her father's old uniform, giving the costume a little more feminine quality. She'd opted to keep her father's infamous finger stripes but emblazoned across her chest in gold was Chris's symbol. Hero laid her fingers across the golden almost Bat like insignia spanning across her breasts. The play of blue, black, and gold looked strange and comforting to her.

"They'll be aiming for that when they see you," Tim murmured, tapping the gold Nightwing emblem in the mirror. "We'll put extra armoring underneath there but you're still going to feel it every time. Are you willing to put your breasts on the line?"

"What is your twisted fascination with my chest, _Uncle_ Tim?" Hero snapped, accentuating the 'uncle' part. Tim had the decency enough to blush.

"It's an honest concern, Hero. Bruce and I both carry the most scars over our chests where our symbols sit. I know you're body is more resilient to damage but there's still a good possibility that you could get a few scars there," Tim warned her. Hero brushed her fingers over the golden symbol thoughtfully, tracing the edges with just enough force to feel the press of her fingertips against the muscle underneath. Little things flitted through her head as she traced her fingers across her chest. Like the time she'd found Uncle Damian carefully removing all of the Robin R's off of her uniform and then reattaching them three inches higher up on her tunic. It hadn't occurred to her back than that the costume had been meant for a boy and the R would have stood right over his pectoral but on a girl it sat more…obscenely upon her breast. No wonder Penguin had goggled at her before Damian had dutifully rearranged her tunic. Come to think of it, all of her Bat obsessed family had spent years trying to cover up the fact their Robin was girl. Long gone were the days of the girl Robin skirt and no one dared threaten putting her in the short pants. So much of her existence until this point had been about denying the truth.

Hero let her hand lay flat across her now blatantly obvious chest. The suit cut down her slim frame, over accenting the feminine curve of her waist and hips. Tim was right, she wasn't built like Donna Troy and she'd never pass for Dick Grayson in costume. But maybe, just maybe, it would be enough to be just her.

"I'm willing to take that chance," Hero replied and shifted her stance with confidence. Behind her, Tim smiled knowingly.


	2. Chapter 2

Beast Boy wolf whistled the first time she stepped into Titan's Tower in the new suit. Granted the green man was older than her Uncle Tim, he still gave Hero an appraising look as she walked by. Hero's first instinct was to run back to her room and pull on her civvies but she tamped down on that urge. If she could face down super villains in a bright yellow cape and pixie boots, she could deal with Beast Boy's leering. Not that she'd have to deal with it much longer judging by the sound of the 'twack' Raven had just landed against the back of Gar's head. Hero smiled spitefully to herself. Served him right.

Cyborg had done a double take when he'd seen her but unlike Gar he didn't leer. Instead, Vic smiled and clapped her on the shoulder.

"It's about time you got your own colors kid," Vic congratulated her. Hero smiled shyly, feeling her cheeks pink under her domino mask. With a new feeling of confidence, Hero strolled into the Titan's lounge. All chatting stopped the minute she'd entered the lounge. Hero felt a dozen eyes staring at her, half amazed and half puzzled. At last Superboy leapt to his feet with a wild cheer, pumping his fist in the air as he laughed.

"Hell yes!" Chris yelled than pointed an accusatory finger at Speedy. "You owe me fifty bucks muchaco! She did pick my symbol!"

Speedy groaned and buried his face into his gloved hands. Aqualad pat the younger hero on the back comfortingly.

"Harper's gonna kill me when he hears this," Speedy muttered into his hands.

"Harper's not that bad, Speedy. I'm sure he'll loan you the fifty bucks," Kaymen offered helpfully. Speedy bolted up, his cheeks flushed red and his face a mask of agony.

"You don't get it Kaymen! I told Roy it was a sure thing that she'd never wear Chris's stupid logo. He went in big on the JLA pool on my word! He's gonna skin my hide and use it to make moccasins!" Speedy wailed. Superboy was howling with laughter from the other side of the room at Speedy's confession. Helena's hand flew out of nowhere and landed hard across Superboy's back, sending the Boy of Steel into a faceplant on the floor. Kid Flash whirled past Hero in a flash of yellow and red pigtails, her girlish giggles suffusing the air.

"You just got pwned Super Klutz!" Kid Flash squealed as she zipped around Superboy in a mocking streak. Kaymen frowned at his secret boyfriend, still patting the distraught Speedy on the back. Superboy finally righted himself and threw a glare at Helena.

"That was a bit excessive, Helena," Chris snarled, dusting off his Super shield. The Amazon rolled her eyes, crossing her arms defiantly over her scarlet uniform.

"You should be nicer to your teammates, Superboy. We're a team and a family. Now go apologize to Speedy for being a jerk," Helena ordered the lasso on her hip crackling with energy menacingly. Superboy pouted as he dragged himself across the room. Helena waited until Superboy was actually speaking to Speedy before she moved closer to her half sister.

Even at three years younger than Hero, Helena stood four inches taller than her older sister. Helena filled out her scarlet and star adorned Wonder Girl uniform in ways her willowy sister never would be able to. Helena Troy, when she reached maturity, would be the striking image of Wonder Woman. Hero's jealousy over her younger sister still burned her but now it seemed less significant. Maybe it was all the fuss over the new costume but Hero was finally starting to feel a little more adequate.

"Hero," Helena murmured, judging her sister carefully, "You look very…noble." Hero smiled at her ever diplomatic half-sister.

"Thank you Helena. I feel rather wonderful."


	3. Chapter 3

The meeting had been rather uneventful, save for the few opening dramatics over Hero's costume change. Most of her fellow Teen Titans had already dispersed after the meeting, going on with their days like normal. Whatever 'normal' was considered in a giant T shaped tower filled with super powered teenagers anyways.

Hero sat at her laptop in the Titan's small, quiet library going over a few emails. Most of them were from Tim regarding new tech and non-lethal weaponry for Nightwing. She was starting to like the way Tim made sure he referred to her as "Nightwing" in every email. It did seem a little sad when he referred to Thomas as "Robin" in one email. She'd have to get use to that quick. There was also the question of where she'd go now. As a young man, her father had claimed Bludhaven as his own city until a league of super villains dropped a giant living dirty bomb on the place. Gotham had been her home since the day she was born. She'd traveled with Bruce before and had gone with Damian on mission outside of Gotham but she'd never really thought about leaving Gotham. After all, there couldn't be too many vigilantes in a city like Gotham, right?

Hero closed her laptop with a sigh, putting her emails and questions away from another time. The doors to the library slid open a second later admitting Superboy and Aqualad. The two were walking shoulder to shoulder, a secretive smile crossing between them as they entered. Kaymen smiled, genuinely pleased when he spotted her. Chris practically flew across the room to fling himself into the chair next to Hero. Kaymen sat on the arm of Chris's chair with more dignity.

"You look so hot in that new suit, Hero," Chris immediately spit out, a wicked grin dancing across his face. Hero repressed the urge to groan. Kaymen shifted on the arm of the chair, throwing a glare over his shoulder at his boyfriend. Chris chuckled and leaned forward, wrapping an arm around Kaymen's waist and quickly pulled the Atlantian boy down into his lap. Kaymen gave an indignant squawk as he was manhandled.

"Don't worry babe, I still only have eyes for you," Chris cooed gooey, nuzzling the gills behind Kaymen's ear. Hero's nose wrinkled up as she eyed the two.

"Please tell me you don't actually let him talk to you like a corny Valentine's card, Kaymen," Hero pleaded in a flat voice. Kaymen chuckled and shivered a little as Chris's nose tickled his gills. Hero made a mental note of that.

"Not always, Hero, but I have found that Chris sometimes lacks the astuteness necessary for proper poetry," Kaymen teased in his clipped but intelligent voice. Hero bit her lip to keep from giggling.

"I don't know if I should be insulted or just really dejected that my boyfriend and my best friend are ganging up on me," Chris muttered.

"Aww, the Super Jock can't handle a little joke? Sticks and stones and green K, Chris," Hero sing-songed playfully. Kaymen giggled outright.

"Oh stuff it Wonder Bra," Chris frowned, eyeing Hero over. "I guess you're not really 'Wonder Bra' anymore. You're not 'pretty bird' or 'birdbrain' either. What am I suppose to taunt you with now?"

"Only out of love, of course," Kaymen added, elbowing Superboy in the chest. Chirs gave a faked 'opf' for Kaymen's benefit as he threw a wink at Hero. She smiled despite herself.

"'Winger', 'Wing-ding', 'Wingster'. I'm sure between you and Kaymen they'll be some more creative ones," Hero said with a mild shrug.

"Like 'Nightie'?" Chris asked, perking up. Kaymen rolled his eyes for Hero.

"We are not nicknaming our leader after lingerie, Superboy," Kaymen said in a droll tone. Chris grumbled under his breath but kept Aqualad held firmly in his lap. Hero smiled at the two, laying her head back against the chair to really study the couple.

Kaymen's eyes were partly lowered as he lay across Chris's lap, unashamed. Chris's head was tucked in under Kaymen's chin, his ear pressed against the Atlantain's chest. They looked so peaceful together like that, like nothing else in the world mattered but the sound of each other's heartbeats. Hero knew what they had right now was rare for humans, rarer still for super heroes. She didn't judge their choice in keeping their relationship secret. It could put them in danger. They could be used against each other or worse, they could lose one another. In a life so fraught with dangers like theirs, she could understand wanting someone special that only they needed to know about. The fact that they had let her in willingly and allowed her to share these few precious, private moments with them burned Hero's heart. She didn't think there was anyone else on the face of the planet she could trust more deeply at that moment.


	4. Chapter 41

"Hello?" Hero mumbled sleepily into the receiver, rubbing her eyes. She glanced at her alarm clock and frowned as it read back 4:07 in the morning.

"Hero, it's Lois," the Daily Planet report's voice sounded croaky on the other end of the line.

"Hey Louis, what's up?" Hero murmured, rolling on to her back in bed, the phone cradled against her ear still.

"It's Ma, she…" Louis's breath caught on the other end of the line. "She died Hero." Hero bolted up in her bed, the last vestiges of sleep burnt from her mind.

"Oh my god! Are they okay Louis?" Hero gasped, her mind whirling. Louis whimpered and Hero could hear the tears in the other woman's voice.

"Clark's with Kon right now at the farm but Chris took off when he heard the news. Hero, if you could find him. Tell him to come home please," Louis paused, her voice wavering, "Tell him his mom needs him." Hero blinked back her own tears at Louis's broken confession.

"I'll find him Louis, I promise," Hero whispered before hanging up the phone.

As much as she joked about her family's paranoia and need for control, Hero was for once thankful for the tracker Tim had installed in Chris's Titan communicator.

The sand crunched under her tennis shoes as she walked down the moonlit beach. Sunrise was still a few hours off in Hawaii. Hero sighed as she came around a large volcanic rock and found Chris curled up against Kaymen's bare chest, sobbing. The Atlantian looked up at Hero, tear streaks glistening on his olive toned cheeks. Hero didn't say anything as she knelt down beside her friends, looping one arm around Kaymen's shoulders and the other around Chris's back. Kaymen and Hero's fingers interlaced as they met over Chris's sobbing form, encircling him between them. Hero silently laid her cheek on Chris's shivering shoulder and let go of her own tears.

They stayed like that until the sun had fully breached the morning sky and the rising surf came up to lick at their thighs. Chris moved first, letting them cradle him between them. He looked tan and warm in the early dawn light but his eyes were sore and red rimmed. He lay with his head on Kaymen's chest, his arm wrapped around Hero like a child clutching a doll. His eyes looked empty as he stared out at the rippling ocean. He opened his mouth, trying to find words, apologies, but a thin, reedy cord left his lips. Kaymen shushed him gently, pressing his lips to Chris's temple tenderly.

"Don't talk, _ku'u lei_," Kaymen whispered. "The time for words will come later. For now, just grieve."


	5. Chapter 42

No one at the funeral seemed to question why a billionaire like Bruce Wayne or his family had come to the funeral of woman that had never left Smallville in her entire life. No one asked about the steady stream of teary eyed mourners that filled the tiny graveyard. No one asked why because they knew Martha Kent didn't have to leave Smallville to share her unconditional love with others. She'd touched so many hearts in her time that it would have seemed wrong if all these strange and wonderful people hadn't come to say goodbye.

Hero found herself sandwiched between Chris Kent and Timothy Drake at Martha Kent's funeral. Louis's hand was buried in Clark's, a lifeline for both of them. Hero tried not to study the agony on Superman's face. Sent to earth to save him from destruction, Kal-El was finding himself orphaned once again. Beside her, Christopher Kent was holding back tears as Conner Kent gave a heartfelt eulogy. Conner and Clark had sat together late into the night proceeding the funeral writing their shared goodbye to their mother. Hero nearly flinched as Tim's hand crept into her own, giving her a reassuring squeeze. Hero glanced at her uncle. Tim's face was strong and blank, his eyes oddly colder than usually. Hero didn't have to wonder how many funerals Tim had attended, too many for a man so young. Too many loved ones gone.

"Many times we forget we are not immortal," Conner read, his voice choked with emotion. "So many times, when we are young, we forget that things will change and no manner of strength or courage will change them back. Martha Kent knew well about mortality but she never dwelled upon it. Ma never let age or weariness stop her from doing what she did best: Sharing her love with others. Every person that entered Ma's house wasn't just a visitor, they were a friend and they were family. Martha never turned away anyone, even an arrogant young boy that wanted nothing to do with a small town in Kansas," Conner's voice cracked. "Martha Kent wasn't just my guardian, she was my friend and the closest thing I've had to a mom."

Conner finished and wiped the tears from his eyes as he stepped away from the podium. Clark clapped the younger man on the shoulder as he passed, whispering in his ear before he kissed Conner very gently on the temple. Conner limped back to his seat beside Tim, rubbing at his eyes. Clark took the podium next. He stared down at the coffin for a long time and Hero wondered if he was using his x-ray vision to see his mom just one last time.

"Martha Kent saved my life," Clark murmured. He gave a very small, sad smile. "It seems odd to say but Martha and Jonathan Kent saved my life. They took me in when I had nothing and raised me as their son. They gave me everything they could possibly afford. Though they may not have been rich they were rich with love and I was never poor for need of it. Martha Kent was my mother, the same as if she had given birth to me. She gave me love and support and tenderness and she gave me my name. I didn't understand really how important my name truly meant to me until I had a son," Clark paused and looked at Chris, "Both of them," and then Conner. "A name is something more than just a moniker, a way to distinguish you from all the others out there. A name is a symbol, an unending gift of love given to us by our parents. Even when they are gone and nothing more remains of them, we still carry their names. Martha Kent gave me a precious gift the day she gave me my name. It was a promise, from her to me to protect and cherish and nurture me as for as long as she lived. Martha Kent never broke her promise."

Hero choked back a sudden sob. It hit her hard in the chest like a blow from a gunshot. Her fingers blindly sought out Tim's, twisting around her uncle's callused hands. It didn't take him much to pull her off balance and tuck her into his chest. His fingers danced over her curls tenderly, comforting the weeping girl.

"I know Hero," he whispered into her ear. "I know."


	6. Chapter 5

"I have heard you are a Titan full time now," Starfire asked. Hero blinked up at the dazzling alien woman. A crooked grin traced Hero's mouth.

"Yeah," Hero murmured. "I've been working permanently with them for little over a year now." Starfire nodded thoughtfully, her eyes sliding over Hero's Nightwing costume appreciatively.

"Are you happy with the Titans, Nightwing?" Starfire asked, tilting her head to the side. Hero arched a brow questioningly, even though it didn't show under her domino mask.

"I suppose so. I mean, sometimes I miss working with Batman back in Gotham but I needed this. I needed to find myself," Hero replied.

"And you have 'found yourself' as you say?" Starfire questioned carefully. Hero couldn't guess what the alien woman was digging at yet.

"I've discovered a lot about myself over the past year, if that's what you're asking. I don't know if I'm finished though. There's still a lot I haven't done yet," Hero admitted. Starfire beamed down at the younger woman.

"I had hoped you would say just that. I have a proposition for you, Nightwing. Donna Troy has asked me to recruit a few super heroes to reform the Outsiders," Starfire informed her. Hero blinked in surprise.

"And you thought of me? I've never worked outside of the Titans and Gotham before. Do you really think I'm ready?" Hero asked. Starfire smiled.

"I had the same misgivings the first time I was asked to join the JLA. I too was 'finding myself' when I was recruited. I doubted if I was suited for the JLA and if I even wanted to be on another team," Starfire said with honesty. Hero shifted thoughtfully.

"What did you learn, Star?" she asked quietly. Starfire smiled, softer this time.

"I learned that when someone comes asking for you to join them it is many times because they see a potential in you that you may be blind to. I learned that saying yes often opens you up to the chance of discovering that there is something very special inside of you," Starfire told her, a smile dancing across her warm features. Hero swallowed slowly, her stomach dancing.

"I'm not sure-"

"If it helps," Starfire cut her off, "You came to me through a recommendation from Red Robin."

Hero felt a jolt of surprise run through her spine. Tim had been rather helpful to her in the past year but their relationship had remained casual at best. In all honesty, Hero had always thought Drake had helped her out as some debt he felt he owed to Dick. But recommendations from Timothy Drake-Wayne came from the highest level of respect. Hero looked away quickly as she felt heat spike in her cheeks. She wasn't going to go all giddy in front of Starfire just because he uncle respected her.

"Alright, I'll join."


End file.
